Free Form Tower Optimized by Simulated Annealing Algorithm
Keywords: CAD development, Design Process, Free Form Optimization, Panelization, Simulated Annealing Algorithm
Worked with Hui Chen, Quanhong Li, Shark Liang, Henry Liu, Danielle Gong
The project was conducted from 2010 to 2012 when I was working as a computational designer in CallisonRTKL Shanghai office (formerly known as Callison ). The video was made by me in 2015 at CallisonRTKL Seattle office as a leading design technologist for company-wide training purposes to showcase the design process. The project is a design and engineering solution for free-form tower form-finding and curtain units optimization by using the Simulated Annealing Algorithm.
Living beings are shaped by the DNA. Species vary with different DNA it also defines the relationship between species. However, individuals from same species may differ from each other due to the environment. For instance sunlight in soil moisture affects the plants, there for individuals that alike often come from similar logic and atmosphere. when we look at the high-rise footings in the same perspective, when we find that structure inform limits the shape of each board change within a small degree, however the details of every force view varies with Worman height so through the same logic different conditions form similar floors.
The term high res buildings mean similar floors are sequencing the vertical order. Dealing with the series of similar individuals is like working with the same function with different parameters. Computer-based programs can complete this process automatically and efficiently. A loop structure can run through a self-included code for specific times. The interface can provide a list of different parameters for each execution then stores the results. Comparatively, they act like logic and conditions and thus form a set of similar individuals. Judging from the experience, high-rise buildings are simple and all approach towards the exploration of parametric designs, of course, it still demands much effort as each step in each project has its uniqueness. We may use a case of high-rise hotel design to illustrate this better. The parametric design approach was considered when the project has just completed the conceptual stage. The team needs to guarantee the project to be able to construct a well-maintained desired of visual experience.
The Grasshopper toolkits that we developed through this project named as SERIES. SERIES was one of integration platform we developed for optimizing curtain wall units of a high-rise project in Asia. Our previous experience was when design got approved by the client, and we will need to hand our design to third-party consultancy. However, when architectural geometry is a free-form shape, we sometimes will lose our control of the project, since the curtain wall consultancy will take over the model and rebuild an optimized form. SERIES as a platform will first gather product information from the supplier, and coordinate with curtain wall consultancy. However, eventually, the optimization process will be done in-house. By using the algorithm of simulated annealing to optimize the footprint of each floor, we set up a series of cycle structure and collection interfaces to run this process efficiently and automatically. While maintaining the visual effect of the lower body, the process is also getting the project more logical.